New LIFE for Welsh Raised Bogs

New LIFE for Welsh Raised Bogs Project Summary

The New LIFE for Welsh Raised Bogs project was a £5.2m scheme, funded by the EU LIFE fund with support from Welsh Government, which ran for 6.5 years from 1 September 2017 until 30 June 2024. The project delivered peatland restoration across 6 raised bog Special Area of Conservation (SAC) sites in Wales, and was managed by NRW, with support from Eryri National Park.

Cors Caron SAC UK0014790
Cors Fochno SAC UK0014791
Cors Goch Trawsfynydd SAC UK0030075
Rhos Goch SAC UK0014792
Esgyrn Bottom SSSI (part of the Afonydd Cleddau SAC) UK0030074
Cernydd Carmel SAC UK0030070

Unfortunately, work at Waun Ddu raised bog (part of the Usk Bat Sites SAC) was unable to take place.

Overall 998 hectares of raised bog habitat was improved through delivery of:

Over 140,000m peat bunds & 150 peat dam, helping to raise and stabilise water levels on the peatland.
676 hectares of scrub management, including birch, willow, conifer, and invasive non-native rhododendron
Mowing of over 100 hectares of dense and dominant Molinia grass using the project purchased Pisten Bully.

Monitoring of water levels has shown an increase in mean annual water levels between 4cm-10cm following restoration work, promoting far greater resilience to future summer droughts, and providing suitable conditions for habitat restoration. Alongside greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring which shows the work has reduced carbon emissions from the project sites.

The project managed to engage with over 25,000 people over the 6.5 years, improving awareness and understanding of peatlands across Wales, the UK and Europe, through events, webinars, and online content.

To find out more, head to the EU LIFE public database to download project reports and evaluations.